Something I have been thinking about lately and talking about with others is about Western Medicine's (as well as other medicine's) emphasis that the body's functioning and the functioning of the mind are completely separate things. I see this as a rigged system that gives advantages to a ruling class who want you to work without any excuses. The culture in which we operate often see these things as separate and treat them as separate. The idea that if you are depressed and burnt out but if your body is not experiencing any symptoms then you are fit to be working. Even by the stories on here you see how pervasive this is. Hell, even if your body is not in good shape you are still expected to put on a smile and deliver wealth to your employers.
The truth is, and science informs us of this with healthy confidence, that the functioning of your mind and body are extremely connected to one another. Not even connected to each other, but more accurately are one another. If you are depressed, this is going to impact your ability to function.
Employers and the overall culture of a Protestant work ethic ignore this completely. Governments tend to ignore it a lot (although likely less so in Canada than in some other political regions). Some even say that engaging in the empty work of making employers richer is medicine for you, but you know that it makes things worse.
Sadness and depression cause death. We know that it's worst and most measurable in regards to suicide, but suicide does not show the full scope of depression's deathmaking tendencies. Yes, depression is a leading cause of death (In Canada it's the 9th leading cause of death and in the USA it is the 12th). But this does not take into consideration that many deaths that come from heart disease and stroke are actually manifested by way of depression (not to mention motor vehicle accidents). Even various forms of cancer are highly tied to depression and living with the experience of being traumatized. These are all details that governments, employers and often ourselves seem to ignore and compartmentalize. I am convinced that the wealthy look at that compartmentalization as necessary for getting rich. The message is “I don't care how you feel, get to work and do this tedious function in order for me to accumulate wealth”. To keep the actual causes of heart disease and stroke a mystery serves someone else's narrative. Anyone who has breathed in the direction of a post secondary class related to health knows that what I am saying is true as this is taught by way of demonstrated research. However we keep acting like these diseases are a mystery.
Your depression is connected to experiences that you have as well as how you see yourself in context with the rest of society. Yes, it is a “chemical imbalance”, but that imbalance comes from somewhere. It's not just imagined. If you are working in a job that treats you overtly or subtly like you are replaceable and that you deserve such treatment, this is likely to impact the way you see yourself. I can think of few sadder feelings than this, especially if this is in line with messages you've been given your whole life.
And make no mistake, diagnostic tools reinforce this separation. One of the diagnostic criteria for many mental health disorders is whether or not it interferes with your ability to go work. For so many in our North American culture, their ability to work is tied to their identities of self worth. They've bought into this narrative that mind/body are separate and force themselves into roles that keep reinforcing beliefs that they deserve to be treated like garbage. Many diagnostic tools don't even ask about functioning in your family situation, but do ask about ability to go work. This reflects the priorities and those priorities are not for your benefit.
I could go on about this, but I feel like I am dipping my toes into conspiracy territory and I don't want to get too paranoid about this. I will say that I think the suppression of alternative medicines such as the use of psychedelics either formally (in a clinical setting) or informally (recreationally/self-medicated) is tied to this. This specific class of medicine gives you the realization that things are bigger than what your limited functioning suggests. Accumulation of wealth by the upper classes is not possible when you realize that boundaries with your workplace are healthy and that gathering meaning from our efforts is a necessary part of staying healthy. These medicines help you realize that there is something bigger to us than serving someone else's greed.
TL/DR: Employers benefit from ensuring there is a disconnect between your mental health and your physical health.